Groups across England have received historic new powers to purchase community properties under landmark legislation that came into force this week. The “right of communities to purchase” provisions, part of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, constitute what ministers have described as “the greatest shift of power to our communities in a generation”. The new law enables grassroots organisations to purchase community assets such as pubs, libraries and similar venues unopposed, as long as they are able to obtain funding within a 12-month window. The change comes as groups like Domestic Abuse WA12 in Merseyside aim to achieve long-held ambitions to convert derelict buildings into essential community centres.
A pivotal moment for local initiatives
Tony Armstrong, head of Locality, the nationwide organisation for community-led organisations, has hailed the new powers as transformative. “This is a real watershed moment, we are delighted,” he said. The organisation has long campaigned for increased local control over local assets, recognising that existing “community bid” schemes have achieved limited success. Under the former arrangement, which allowed a six-month fundraising window, only about 2% of local properties transferred into community hands, largely because groups struggled to secure sufficient funds within the strict deadline. The extended 12-month window should substantially enhance these prospects.
However, Armstrong has raised concerns about the new rights’ rollout. Whilst presenting the legislation as “a fantastic new right,” he emphasised that it must be “backed up by clear support and access to resources.” His concerns are compounded by the government’s decision not to renew the £150m Community Ownership Fund, which previously offered crucial financial assistance to local organisations seeking to purchase local assets at risk of closure. Without sustained funding arrangements in place, Armstrong expresses concern that only the wealthiest communities will be able to capitalise on their new acquisition capabilities.
- Lengthened 12-month funding period supersedes previous six-month deadline
- Government did not renew £150m Community Ownership Fund funding programme
- Community groups need dedicated funding and resource access
- Legislation characterised as greatest devolution of power to communities in a generation
From rejected proposals to renewed potential
For Debbie Taylor and her domestic abuse service, the new community purchase law constitutes a crucial opportunity after years of frustration. Her group, Domestic Abuse WA12, has been seeking to acquire the derelict Ram’s Head pub in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside for almost three years. When the property was auctioned previously, the organisation was unable to secure sufficient funds within the required timescale, and the pub did not reach its reserve price. Now, with a one-year timeframe to secure financing, Taylor thinks the organisation at last has a real prospect of converting the property into a community centre.
The extended deadline marks a significant shift in favour of grassroots organisations. Previously, the six-month fundraising window proved impractically brief for most local organisations, leading to the overwhelming proportion of assets remaining in private hands or becoming abandoned. Taylor’s experience is far from unique; countless organisations across England have seen potential community assets be lost due to financial constraints and time pressures. The recent law offers genuine hope that buildings of genuine community value can now be preserved and repurposed for public benefit, rather than abandoned or sold to developers.
The Ram’s Head makeover
The Ram’s Head possesses significant importance for Domestic Abuse WA12 outside of its bricks and mortar. Taylor imagines the pub transforming into a sanctuary where at-risk families can obtain wide-ranging help services under one roof. “It’s considerably more than a building,” she explains. “It’s what it can symbolise in the future for us and for the families that we’re supporting. It’s safety, certainty, a path forward for people in our communities dealing with no options when they’re in emergency situations.”
The charity plans to pool fundraising efforts, charitable grants, and borrowing to acquire the property. Beyond providing domestic abuse services, the group intends to expand its food share programme and set up an welcoming community space where individuals can find safety whilst rebuilding their lives. repurposing the derelict pub would simultaneously address antisocial behaviour affecting the neighbourhood whilst offering tangible benefits to vulnerable residents.
Extended definitions open up new opportunities
The important legislation significantly widens what qualifies as a “community asset” available for acquisition under the revised acquisition scheme. Previously, the parameters were narrowly drawn, focusing mainly on pubs, libraries, and a small number of other specified venues. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act substantially expands this remit, recognizing that communities depend on multiple venues to thrive. Market buildings, local centres, sports facilities, and arts facilities now fall within the ambit of the legislation, allowing grassroots organisations to secure assets that effectively meet their particular community requirements and priorities.
This extended definition represents a major transformation in how decision-makers understand local facilities. Rather than applying a centrally-determined catalogue of eligible buildings, the new framework gives communities the power themselves to designate buildings and spaces of authentic community importance. The scope enables bodies to pursue non-traditional schemes suited to their unique circumstances and residents. From repurposed industrial buildings operating as innovation spaces to disused educational buildings transformed into learning facilities, the opportunities now go well past conventional town centre buildings, unlocking fresh potential for innovative local renewal across England.
Marketplace venues and local gathering spaces
Market halls maintain a treasured place in English community life, serving as lively meeting places where community members, traders, and producers come together. Under the extended legal framework, community groups can now pursue ownership of these historically important buildings, ensuring they stay open to the public rather than facing conversion or shutdown. Market halls commonly serve as anchors for town centres, attracting visitors and building community bonds. Enabling local ownership protects their future as locally governed spaces run by residents rather than external commercial operators.
Community hubs equally advantage from the legislative expansion, allowing organisations to establish consolidated service centres tackling diverse community needs concurrently. These multifunctional spaces can contain healthcare provision, learning initiatives, food assistance schemes, and welfare services under single roofs, improving efficiency and accessibility. The legislation acknowledges that today’s communities require flexible, purpose-built infrastructure able to responding to evolving challenges and circumstances. Community ownership secures these hubs stay responsive to community priorities rather than limited by commercial imperatives.
The funding challenge ahead
Whilst the new community right to buy legislation represents a watershed moment for community groups across England, experts warn that legislative powers alone will not guarantee success without substantial financial backing. The elimination of the £150m Community Ownership Fund has left community groups facing an uncertain landscape, forced to cobble together resources from public fundraisers, charitable grants, and bank loans. Tony Armstrong, chief operating officer of Locality, emphasises that the extended timeframe of 12 months to raise funds means little without robust support systems and access to capital. Without a formal funding framework, only the most affluent and well-resourced communities may realistically achieve control of community properties.
The divide between aspiration and reality stands out prominently for organisations like Domestic Abuse WA12, which spent almost three years attempting to secure the Ram’s Head pub before the updated laws arrived. Local organisations typically lack the financial reserves and lending capacity of commercial developers, placing them at a disadvantage when competing for assets. Social housing providers, local authorities, and private investors can mobilise capital far faster and more effectively. Policymakers face increasing pressure to establish a replacement funding scheme that genuinely enables communities to compete fairly in the property market, transforming the legislative right to buy into concrete community ownership results.
- Create a specialist national fund funding acquisition costs for communities and feasibility studies
- Introduce favourable lending programmes offering below-market interest rates to grassroots organisations
- Build local centres providing financial guidance and fundraising support to community groups
Creating permanent community control
The new community right to buy legislation marks a fundamental shift in how English communities can secure their future. By granting grassroots organisations a authentic entitlement to acquire local properties—rather than merely the chance to bid—the law acknowledges that community ownership delivers tangible benefits beyond commercial viability. Assets administered by community groups remain rooted in local priorities and values, ensuring they serve residents’ requirements rather than shareholders’ concerns. This constitutes a decisive break from the previous model, where even well-meaning bids often failed because community organisations lacked the ability to mobilise funds quickly enough to compete with commercial buyers.
For organisations like Domestic Abuse WA12, the implications are significant. The extended 12-month acquisition window creates essential time to orchestrate fundraising campaigns, secure charitable grants, and organise financial arrangements without the frantic scramble that marked previous efforts. Community ownership also offers stability and permanence; once secured, these assets become anchors for community provision, protected from the whims of real estate speculation or corporate restructuring. As communities across England begin exercising these new powers, the potential arises for a authentic revival of neighbourhood-managed facilities—from community halls to community centres—that truly address the needs of their neighbourhoods.